1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a content management method for managing content data and a recording and/or reproducing apparatus using the management method; and a recording medium having content data or the like recorded therein by the apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a content management method, a recording and/or reproducing apparatus which enable predetermined movement of content data while preventing unlimited illegal copy; and a recording medium for the method and apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as a medium for recording digitized information (such as a document, a voice, an image, or a program, for example), a compact disk or a laser disk is used for a medium for recording a voice or an image. In addition, a floppy disk or a hard disk is used for a medium for recording a program or data in a computer or the like. In addition to these recording mediums, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) which is a large capacity recording medium is developed.
In a variety of such digital recording mediums, digital data (including compressed or encoded data which can be decoded) is recorded intact during recording. Thus, recorded data can be copied from one medium to another medium easily and without losing a sound loss or an image quality, for example. Therefore, in these digital recording mediums, there is a problem that a large amount of copies can be produced, causing infringement of copyrights.
Concurrently, as a content encryption and/or decryption method of the conventional technique, a copyright protection system called CSS (Content Scramble System) is introduced for a DVD-video disk used exclusively for reproduction in order to prevent illegal copy of contents.
In the above described conventional apparatus, however, movement of contents are carried out while illegal copy is prevented and copyrights are protected, and at the same time, reproduction of contents cannot be carried out by a conventional reproducing apparatus which is a general-purpose machine. That is, there is a problem that there cannot be ensured user's convenience that, while movement of content data is carried out properly, reproduction by the conventional apparatus is carried out.